Abstract

In recognition of the tensions between science and society and as research increasingly enters value-laden areas, proposals have been made for scientists to engage with other communities on the ethical, legal, and social implications of science and technology and for the "public voice" to be brought into the formative stages of decision-making. Such measures, it is argued, should result in socially viable paths for scientific innovation. As a contribution to this debate, we present findings from representative and comparable social surveys in the United States, Canada, and the European Union on who the public thinks should make decisions on science policy and what criteria should guide such decisions. We then investigate how positions on science policy relate to people's opinions about the utility and regulation of technological innovation.